This entry deals with particular aspects of the English language. Here you will find special tips or shortcuts to use the language in a better way. Following this advice you will be able to speak properly and avoid Spanish constructions.
* Questions:
1) Remember that, when you ask a question in English, it is advisable to use the auxiliary form in that question to answer it properly. For instance:
- Do: Do you like pizza? Yes, I do.
- Can: Can I have a blue pen, please? No, you can't. Sorry.
- Have: Have you got any sisters? Yes, I have.
- Be (am, is, are): Are you sad? Yes, I am.
Is he happy? Yes, he is.
Are they bored? No, they aren't.
2) Here we are going to analyse a question and its answer. Bear in mind that, when asking a question, you are supposed to use part of that same question to answer it. Example:
Why is Stella sad? We have two options: short or long answer. Let's analyse the short answer first.
a) As we are asked why, we should start our answer with because. Now we need a subject (Stella) As it is already mentioned in the question, we can substitute Stella for she. So, we have Because she... Now focus on the verb. We can choose miss. As we need a present tense and Stella is a third person (singular), we need to add something to the verb, remember? Then, Because she misses... Then we can use a complement; for instance, her mother. The final result would be: Because she misses her mother.
b) Now we move on to the long answer. First, we need to use the question. So, we say: Stella is tired... Then we elaborate the rest of the answer following the pattern of the short one above. The complete answer would be Stella is tired because she misses her mum.
- Be (am, is, are): Are you sad? Yes, I am.
Is he happy? Yes, he is.
Are they bored? No, they aren't.
2) Here we are going to analyse a question and its answer. Bear in mind that, when asking a question, you are supposed to use part of that same question to answer it. Example:
Why is Stella sad? We have two options: short or long answer. Let's analyse the short answer first.
a) As we are asked why, we should start our answer with because. Now we need a subject (Stella) As it is already mentioned in the question, we can substitute Stella for she. So, we have Because she... Now focus on the verb. We can choose miss. As we need a present tense and Stella is a third person (singular), we need to add something to the verb, remember? Then, Because she misses... Then we can use a complement; for instance, her mother. The final result would be: Because she misses her mother.
b) Now we move on to the long answer. First, we need to use the question. So, we say: Stella is tired... Then we elaborate the rest of the answer following the pattern of the short one above. The complete answer would be Stella is tired because she misses her mum.
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